To Set Our House In Order By Margaret Laurence Analysis

The short story “To Set Our House in Order” by Margaret Laurence displays the elements of fiction in a compelling way. The story is set in a town made up by Laurence called Manawaka and is located in Manitoba. This represents the town that she grew up in called Neepawa. The story is based during the Great Depression, which has many effects on how their family functions. This, in turn, makes the whole MacLeod family need to live with Grandmother MacLeod in her large brick house. The story is told by the main character Vanessa who is reflecting back on a memory of when she was ten. Throughout the short story plot, conflict, character, theme, and symbol, which are all extremely important elements of fiction, are depicted.
The plot of the short

They are what the author wants the reader to understand by the end of the story. The most prominent theme in the short story is the idea of order. All that Grandmother MacLeod wants in her house is order. Some symbols of order throughout the story include the hair brushes because Grandmother MacLeod did not want them touched or moved. Another symbol of order was the brick house the whole MacLeod family lived in. It was her house and she wanted everything in it to happen her way, and her way had order. By the time the end of the story came around, Vanessa discovered that not everything in her life will have order. Vanessa learned that her Grandmother had reasons for how she acted and why she wanted everything a certain way. Another important theme in the short story is family. No matter what is thrown at the MacLeod family, they manage to get through it. The house is also a symbol of family because since the Great Depression made times very rough the whole family came together to get through it. One more major theme is the idea of death. Grandfather MacLeod and brother Roderick both passed away and Vanessa’s mother had a miscarriage. The death of Grandfather MacLeod had big impacts on Grandmother MacLeod because she lost her way of life. She did not have him to provide for her anymore. Grandmother MacLeod also lost her son Rodrick. His death had large effects on both her and Ewen. Ewen believes it was his fault because he had blinded his brother with an airsoft gun. A symbol that represents the theme of death is the mother having a baby. Before her most recent pregnancy she had a miscarriage, and for this baby she had to have a cesarean. In this time having a cesarean was very dangerous for the mother and the baby. In some cases, a cesarean would lead to